PPA134 and FTL189

What do you get when you take a great color challenge (as in the one at Pals Paper Arts) and a great sketch challenge (for instance, the one at Clean & Simple)?  Well, in my case, you get several cards that you reject because they don't quite pass muster.  Then you finally decide to go with one because you're exhausted from trying to figure out why you can't make a card that you're happy with.

Arrgh!  I hate when this happens.  But I've decided that I'm somewhat okay with this card, so you all get to see it anyway.  It's funny how sometimes you make a card and it all just comes together somewhat easily and then other times it's like pulling teeth.  This one was definitely of the "pulling teeth" variety.

I used a small piece of specialty carstock from Parisian Breeze DSP for the little Baja Breeze layer.  This is one of my all-time favorite DSP packs and I've got quite bit left basically because I'm too afraid to use it.  Once it's gone, it's GONE.  As in I'll never get to use it again.  I'm not sure I'm strong enough to handle that.

The layered flower is one of my new favorites from PTI, and I added a pretty Calypso Coral brad in the center.  The sentiment is from Bring on the Cake and despite the birthday theme of this stamp set I think I'm going to give this to one of my sisters for Mother's Day.  That particular sentiment is versatile enough to be used a bunch of different reasons, I think.  And I feel somewhat weird giving a "happy mother's day" card to my sister.  She's not my mother after all!  But it recognizes a special day and is a nice compromise I say to myself.

Thanks for stopping by!

PPA132 and Unscripted Sketches 153

It's been a long time since I've used Chocolate Chip so I suppose that's one of the reasons that I wanted to participate in the color challenge at Pals Paper Arts.  Chocolate Chip used to be my go-to color when I needed brown, so I feel a little sorry that I've been ignoring it.  Thanks to the Pals for helping me realize it's still a great color!

And the sketch this week at Unscripted Sketches provided my layout.  

The Chocolate Chip DSP is from Ski Slope and I did a little stitching on the Certainly Celery offset-layers.  I tied a big double bow with some baker's twine and added a Chocolate Chip button with a "thanks so much" sentiment hanging from the button.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Color Throwdown 179 and Pals Paper Arts 129

This has been one of those weeks where I have had absolutely no time to stamp!  I actually have not set foot in my stamp room to get crafty since last Sunday!  Eek!  Today I was determined to remedy that, so I checked out some of my favorite challenges and sat down at my desk.

I recently learned that friend of mine got engaged to be married so I wanted to make a card for her.

I used the wonderful layout from Pals Paper Arts designed by Margaret Moody.  It's a great sketch that can be dressed up or down.  I decided to keep mine pretty clean to show off the lovely lady holding the champagne.  The colors come from Color Throwdown.

I think taking a week off has made my card-making skills rusty because now that I've had a chance to really look at this card I wish I had dressed it up a bit.  Now that I've got my feet wet again, I'll be heading back in my stamp room to get my craft on!

Thanks for stopping by!

PPA126 Color Challenge

The new year has brought a return of the challenges that I can't seem to live without!  Today I've made a card for the Pals Paper Arts color challenge.

I embossed the vertical Not Quite Navy layer with the Elegant Lines embossing folder.  Then I added a couple of layers of Baja Breeze.  I sponged the layers before adding a scrap from the Walk in the Park dsp to the top layer.

The flower was cut from the Sizzix Tattered Florals die and then stamped with Stitched background stamp. I sponged the edges then crinkled them up before I attached them with an Antique brad.

The layout for my card comes from a February Viva La Verve challenge.  As I've mentioned before I've got a binder where I've printed out several compendiums of sketch challenges.  I turn to it whenever I need a little inspiration, which is how I came up with the layout for this card.

I thought about stitching the vertical layer (as in the sketch), but decided to dry emboss it instead.   I only wish that I had run the cardstock through the embossing folder twice so that the top of this layer wasn't so plain.  (Why do I always think of these things too late)!

Thanks for stopping by today!

PPA Best Dressed Surprise

I don't have a card to share today, but I do have news that I'm excited about.

This morning at work I checked out the latest challenge at Pals Paper Arts.  Only what I found was the Pals Paper Arts picks for Best Dressed 2011.

The Pals each chose a card from the winners each month, and I'm so proud to say that two of my cards were chosen!

This card was chosen by Margaret Moody for the month of May.

And this card was chosen by Mary Fish for the month of June.

I still can't quite believe that I made it onto this best dressed list.  Especially considering all the amazing talent that we see each week for the PPA challenges.  I truly feel honored!  So a big heartfelt thanks to the amazing design team at Pals Paper Arts.  I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in 2012!

PPA122 and FTL169

I really love how Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler look together, especially when I'm doing a Christmas project.  And lucky for me the challenge this week at Pals Paper Arts uses those colors plus Very Vanilla.  Then I saw the FTL sketch challenge at Clean & Simple and I got an Idea.

I'm {somewhat} sure that the tree shape from the sketch challenge can be substituted for another shape, but based on my Idea, I decided to go literal with this one.

This card marks the first time that I used the Snow Burst embossing folder (unbelievable, I know)!  And my tree is simply four scallop circles, sponged on the edges and cut in a triangle.  I paper pierced the smaller Very Vanilla layer and popped it up with dimensionals so that it would stand out from the card base of the same color.  I really like how this turned out.  It's simple and lets those fabulous colors take center stage.  And as I was getting ready to post this card, I realized that I left off the sentiment.  But I decided not to go back and add one, because I think it looks pretty good without one!

Thanks for stopping by!

MOJO217 and PPA121

I think I just made it before the linky widget expired for the Pals Paper Arts challenge this week.  The challenge was to use pearls and I almost didn't make a card for it until I spotted the MOJO sketch and was struck with Inspiration.

I nearly made a around card this time around because, oddly enough, I had some round scraps in my stash that were just begging to be used.  They will continue to beg, because I needed the additional space that a square card gave me.

Santa came a little early this year and brought me a new Sizzix decorative strip die called Festive Greenery that I couldn't wait to use.  It's got holly, berries, branches, arborvitae leaves and some flourishes.  I cut out the holly leaves in Always Artichoke, the arborvitae leaf in Old Olive, the branch in Early Espresso and the berries in Cherry Cobbler.  I used the holly leaves with the scratchy side showing because I thought it looked pretty neat, especially after I sponged them with some Always Artichoke.  The scratches took on a little more ink so the leaves have a cracked paint look to them.  I took a little liberty with the placement of the sentiment vis-a-vis the sketch and now I wish I had lowered it a bit.

I'm in the home stretch making the Christmas cards that I will need this year, because I'll have to get them out in the mail within the next week or two.  I hope I have enough, but I like this one quite a bit so hopefully I can more of them if I need to.  It actually came together pretty quickly.

Thanks for stopping by!

PPA120

I made a card for the Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge this week.  It involves a snowman...with a bit of a tan.

When I saw the sketch, I got it in my head that I wanted to use one of the snowmen from Snow Much Fun.  Then I got it in my head that I wanted to use some of my Jolly Holiday designer paper.  So I put the two together.

It wasn't until I started to color my snowman that I realized something wasn't quite right.  I think it's rather hard to tell in the photo, but this card is made with Very Vanilla.  Including the layer with the snowman stamped on it.  When have you ever seen an off-white snowman?  I'll tell you.  Never.  But rather than scrap the card and start all over, I kept my somewhat strange colored snowman.  He's kind of growing on me!

Thanks for stopping by!

PPA118 and CCMC174

The last few days have been very hectic.  Between my sick father and a sick kitten, I haven't had much time to get my fingers all inky.  But tonight after visiting my father at the hospital and seeing that the kitten seems to be on the road to recovery, I was determined to get in my stamp room for a little while.  I decided to make a card for the Pals Paper Arts color challenge combined with the sketch from Create with Connie and Mary.

I love the idea of the monochramatic color scheme of the PPA challenge.  My first thought was that it would make an interesting Christmas card, then I thought I would make an autumn-themed card.  I ended up going back to the Christmas theme.

In the end, I'm not sure it's Christmas-y enough, but it has a certain appeal, I suppose.  It's clean and not fussy, plus the colors are somewhat unusual for a Christmas card which makes for something visually interesting.  I used a few scraps from the Christmas Cocoa designer series paper and the sentiment is from Perfect Punches.  I'm also happy to say that I got to use one of those big Spice Cake buttons.  When I first saw those buttons in the Holiday Mini I wasn't interested in them at all until I saw that the 1 1/4-inch punch fits perfectly on the inside.  I thought that was interesting enough to get them and although this is the first time I've used one, I am determined to use them more often.  (Ha. Ha.  How often have I said something like that)?

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Throwdown 164 and Pals Paper Arts 116

Well, apparently I had another Halloween card in me.  The color challenge at Color Throwdown told me so!

Then I saw the sketch challenge at Pals Paper Arts was perfect to show off my favorite skull!

I used up some Halloween designer paper from a couple of years ago called Cast-A-Spell.  I love that paper and I don't have very much left, so I use it sparingly to try and make it last!  And of course, that gorgeous skull (saying that seems a little weird!) is from the stamp set From the Crypt.  I heat embossed the image in black because it always shows up best that way.  It is layered on some Rich Razzleberry and an Old Olive scallop square.

Tonight I'm off to volunteer at an art exhibition that the Friends of Borderland is hosting at the mansion at Borderland State Park.  It's a great event that we put on every year.  So if you live in southeastern Massachusetts and looking for something to do tonight, come on by.  We'd love to see you!

PPA110 and Deconstructed Sketch 18

This week the challenge at Pals Paper Arts is to make a Halloween project.

As soon as I saw this challenge I got it in my head to use the best skull stamp ever to grace the stamping world!  Of course, I'm talking about the skull stamp from the retired SU set, From the Crypt.  I chose the newest Deconstructed Sketch challenge for my layout.

I took a little liberty with the oval layer.  And by "liberty" I mean that I made it a circle.

Forgive me, but I had to do it.  That fantastic skull wouldn't fit on an oval!  As per my usual, I heat embossed the image in black.  Stamping it in black ink just doesn't do it justice.  And if you're wondering what the designer paper is, let me tell you that I went so far into the vault to get it that it could be weeks before I emerge!  It's from a single-sided designer paper set called Halloween Night.  And since I have every mini since I started my Stampin' Up! journey I looked it up and found it in the Holiday Mini from 2006!

Now, I hope you don't think I have a morbid fascination with skulls after reading this!  I just love Halloween stuff.  The scarier the better!  And this stamp is just so awesome!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

PPA109 and Paper Players 62

This week the challenge at Pals Paper Arts was a very interesting color combo.

And the challenge this week at The Paper Players, was to make a birthday card.  Since those cards always seem to be the first to disappear from my stash, I can always use another one of those.

At first I was going to make a card using flowers, but then as I was perusing my stamps I spied my French Foliage set and thought that Calypso Coral and Riding Hood Red would make some nice leaves.

I rock-and-rolled the leaves first with Calypso Coral then with Riding Hood Red on the edges.  Then I cut them out.  The top one is popped up on dimensionals as well as the round postmark stamp.  I briefly thought about embossing the sentiment with pewter embossing powder, but it's kind of hot here today and the thought of turning on my heat gun did not appeal to me!  Luckily my Basic Gray stamp pad is pretty juicy, so the sentiment stamped nicely on the designer paper.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Color Throwdown 156

A funny thing happened on the way to making this card.  First, I chose to make a card using the latest color challenge at the Color Throwdown.

Then I spied a sketch challenge that I had printed out and put on my desk in my stamp room.  Frequently, I will print out a sketch challenge then keep the sketch within my eyesight in case the inspiration bug hits me.  Well, in this case it was the PPA107 sketch that inspired me to make a card.

So, armed with my assignment, I set to work!

The funny this is that the PPA challenge was from a week ago.  Somehow I lost track of time and thought I was making a card for this week's challenge.  Oops.  But anyway for this card, once again, I turned to the only Perfect Plum designer paper I own, which is from a Halloween series from a few years ago.  Layered against some Perfect Plum cardstock, it looks terrific and I set the basic layout of my card.  I stamped the big flower from the Fabulous Flowers stamp set in So Saffon then rock and rolled it with a bit of Perfect Plum on the edges.  After I cut the big flower into squares and mounted it on Perfect Plum and So Saffron squares, I added a Perfect Plum button in the middle.  Sweet!

We are expecting some bad weather tomorrow because of Hurricane Eileen that will be passing over us on Sunday, so today I have to concentrate on putting away some of my patio furniture that might start blowing around if I don't secure it in some way.  I hope that anyone reading this on the east coast stays safe during the storm and that it passes by without causing too much damage.

Thanks for stopping by today and BE SAFE!

PPA106 and Some News!

I found the challenge this week at Pals Paper Arts a bit intriguing.  The title of the challenge is Dress For Success.

And isn't this little kitty adorable all dressed up with his necktie?  Our challenge was to use one piece of designer series paper, one punch, one sentiment.  That sounded like fun and it's not the sort of challenge I usually do, so I wanted to give it a try.

I thought it would be easier if I chose my designer series paper first then let that inspire my card.  I used the new Berry Blossomss paper and chose the page in shades of Wisteria Wonder. 

Once I decided on the Wisteria Wonder I hit a mini road-block.  I wasn't at all sure what I wanted to do next.  I was pretty sure that I wanted to use the Fancy Flower punch with a stamp from the Posy Punch set, but I didn't know what color I wanted it to be or what sentiment I wanted to use. Then I remembered that Calypso Coral looked pretty good with Wisteria Wonder and so that's what I stamped my flower with.  I thought that the center of the flower needed a little something extra so I broke out my long-neglected Sweet Stitches fabric brads and attached the Wild Wasabi polka-dotted one.
   
And I've got some exciting news to share.  Lesley from Always Playing With Paper has decided to create a new sketch challenge blog, Freshly Made Sketches, and has invited me to be a member of the Design Team!  I have long admired her work and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw her email inviting me to participate.  The whole idea is to make a project with clean lines...not necessarily clean and simple...just "clean."   Our first challenge will be on September 7th and I hope that you can join us then!

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!

PPA55

There was no way I was going to miss the color challenge over at the Paper Players.  Lucky for me the challenge ran for two weeks because of the Stampin' Up! convention so I was able to make a card early and post it while I'm away from home.

As usual, I see a card with Crumb Cake and I'm practically powerless to resist!  Add Basic Gray and I am in raptures!

I inked up my brand new Raining Flowers stamp set for this card.  And to add a little twist mixing some old with some new, I used some retired designer paper in shades of Basic Gray for the bottom half of this card (I don't remember the name of the paper, though.  Eek!).  I think I'm really going to like this stamp set.  It has some very interesting stamps and lots of two-step stamping potential!

Thanks for stopping by today!

PPA 101 and FTL 148

The challenge this week at Pals Paper Arts is brought to you by the color blue!  Lots and lots of blue!

I wanted to do a little something that was Clean And Simple for my card to really show off the blues.  First I noticed the latest FTL sketch, but I was a little intimidated by the circles so I decided to check out my "binder of sketches" to see if I could find something else.  Nothing really caught my eye so I ended up going with those circles!

And I don't mind saying that it was a little tricky making sure I had those circles lined up correctly.  I used grid paper, dotto, pencil marks and a few prayers to make sure I had them right!

So, I ended up following some true CAS roots for this one.  Lots of white space.  Yum!  Even though the circles were a little tricky I enjoyed the challenge of putting them all together!

Thanks for stopping by today!

PPA Turns 100!

One challenge that I like to participate in is the Pals Paper Arts.  It's hard to believe, but this week's challenge is #100.  Time flies, doesn't it?  And the Pals' challenge to us is to make a card using a favorite technique.  Well, that was a no-brainer for me, since my favorite technique is none other than the faux mother-of-pearl!  You're shocked, I can tell!

Anyway, I hunted around the blogosphere and thought that the Deconstructed Sketch and the Inkspirations Color challenges would fit the bill for my card.

I feel a little bit like I'm in some weird Stampin' Up! limbo land.  I've ordered all kinds of goodies from the new catalog, but I haven't received them yet.  And when I look through my stamps nothing seems very interesting to me!  I must be pining for my new stuff, since the old stuff in not very inspiring.  But, here's what I came up with for these challenges anyway.

I found some Baja Breeze patterned paper from the Urban Garden dp.  I'm not 100% sure that I like it, but I like to use up supplies in my stash, especially ones that have been hanging around for ages.  And I also used a Texturz plate on the Poppy Parade layer - something that I haven't used in a very long time.  Those don't give quite as deep an impression as the embossing folders, but when you need a softer look they are the way to go.  And I lightly mist the cardstock with rubbing alcohol first, because it seems to soften up the cardstock and makes a better impression.  (And it dries much quicker than water).

Thanks for stopping by today!

PPA98 and Inkspirations 74

When I saw the color challenge this week at Inkspirations, I knew immediately that I wanted to participate.

Ooh La La!  What a fabulous color combo.  And the inspiration from the design team was luscious.  I couldn't wait to get started and I thought it would be a good idea to pair this with the sketch challenge at Pals Paper Arts.

My mother's birthday is Sunday and I had a card already made for the occasion.  But I liked this color/sketch combo enough to try my hand at another birthday card to see if I could make something that I liked even better.

Although, I really like this card I'm not sure my mother will.  She's a little traditional when it comes to colors and styles, so I'm not sure she'll appreciate an eclectic color combo like this.  I think I'll sleep on it, and decide in the morning!

Thanks for stopping by!

Three Challenges in One!

I loved the color challenge at Pals Paper Arts this week and decided to combine it with the sketch challenge at Just Add Ink.

It's been a while since I've made a round card and I think that I've missed it!  So it was fun to embark on a fun round project. 

I tried a little bit of the rock-n-roll technique on my butterfly, but in reality it doesn't look as good as what I had envisioned in my head.  I inked up the stamp in Cherry Cobbler than stamped off once onto some scrap paper.  Then I rolled the edges of the stamp with Night of Navy. The effect is a little darker than I wanted, but it looks ok.  I think I tied the color challenge all together with the Night of Navy ribbon, button and sweet sentiment, anyway.  Speaking of that sentiment, the challenge this week at the Paper Players is to make a thank you card, so I think this fits the bill!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have time to stamp today!